1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire. In detail, the present invention relates to a tire including a rim protector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tire is used in an attachment to a rim. The rim includes a flange. A curbstone is provided between a roadway and a footpath over a road having the footpath. In some cases, the rim flange comes in contact with the curbstone when a vehicle is caused to approach a shoulder of the road. Due to the contact, the rim might be damaged. Some roads have a chatter bar provided on road surfaces. In some cases in which the tire gets over the chatter bar, the tire is excessively deformed so that the rim flange collides with the chatter bar. Due to the collision, the rim might be damaged. In a tire having a low aspect ratio, a distance between the road surface and the rim flange is short. In a rim to which a tire having a low aspect ratio is attached, the flange and the curbstone are apt to come in contact with each other. In the rim to which the tire having the low aspect ratio is attached, the flange and the chatter bar are apt to collide with each other.
US2003/209302 (JP2003-326921) has disclosed a tire including a rim protector. The rim protector is protruded outward in an axial direction from a sidewall. When a vehicle is caused to approach a shoulder of a road, the rim protector comes in contact with a curbstone prior to a rim flange. When the tire is to get over a chatter bar, the rim protector is provided between the chatter bar and the rim flange. The rim protector prevents the rim flange from being damaged.
The tire including the rim protector has a heavy weight. The tire deteriorates a low fuel consumption performance of the vehicle. The rim protector causes an excessively vertical stiffness of the tire. The tire has a poor ride comfort. The rim protector impedes a heat radiation of the tire.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire having a small weight and capable of preventing a rim flange from being damaged.